``It`s a real bugaboo, the shrill of the whistle is at such a high pitch,`` said Lou Acernese, a resident of the single-family home development on the city`s south side.

At least 24 times daily between 5:30 a.m. and 10 p.m., Acernese said he can count on the jolting sounds of the Tri-Rail trains.

Said Marcia Maldonado, who owns property in the neighborhood formerly known as Royal Oak Landing: ``It`s an obnoxious whistle. We are extremely concerned about the noise pollution.``

The community sits just west of the CSX railroad tracks on which Tri-Rail trains run. The neighborhood is sandwiched between two crossings at Camino Real and Southwest 18th Street, where trains are required by law to sound warning signals.

``The train horns are just that, horns, not romantic whistles. They are significantly louder on the Tri-Rail than the Amtrak trains which also use that railroad track,`` said council member Steve Abrams.

He took the resident`s plea to the City Council last week, and it unanimously agreed to petition Tri-Rail to soften their horns.

According to a Tri-Rail official, the horns are blown at precisely the correct location and pitch to ensure safety.

Originally, Amtrak and freight trains could be heard in the neighborhood. Tri-Rail opened in 1989, sharply increasing the amount of travel on the tracks. It was then that the neighborhood began looking seriously into the issue.

``The development was pretty much built out in 1988, before Tri-Rail came along. We really thought it was going to be temporary,`` Maldonado said.

Boca Raton banned whistles in 1984, but the state reinstated them last July, citing an increase in crossing accidents and deaths.

Acernese said the loud noises affect more than resident`s ears. He said the horns have dropped the property value of their homes, which range in price from $300,000 to $1 million.

``When people are spending $600,000 to $700,000 looking for a pristine lifestyle, they are not looking for a train in their backyard,`` Acernese said. ``We are looking at a 10 to 15 percent decrease in the value just because we were blessed with Tri-Rail.``